I only watched the last couple of mins and he turned the ball over twice in consecutive possessions during a crucial part of the game. I am guessing he played well enough earlier in the game to be getting this love.

re: Progression of Vasquez (Posted on 1/10/13 at 10:07 am to corndeaux)

Vasquez getting a mention in a HW article on the MIP race.

quote: Greivis Vasquez – New Orleans Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets drafted combo guard Austin Rivers with the tenth overall pick of the draft last June with visions of him being the team’s point guard of the future. But as we approach the All-Star break, Rivers has routinely struggled to find his groove at the pro level and Greivis Vasquez has emerged as the clear frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award.

Simply put, Vasquez is putting in work every single night this season and is averaging 14.1 points, 9.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds on 44 percent shooting from the floor. And those numbers don’t reflect a bloated start because Vasquez has gotten better as the season has progressed with averages of 17.6 points and 11 assists on 52 percent shooting during the month of January (now playing alongside a healthy Eric Gordon in the lineup).

If you’re looking for your MIP this season then head down to Bourbon Street. There may be a few more “well known” names on this list, but this young man has been sizzling. Time for some mainstream respect.

re: Progression of Vasquez (Posted on 1/10/13 at 10:40 am to RonFNSwanson)

I've always like Vasquez's game, but was never sure how it would translate. He's been a really nice surprise. His understanding of the game, vision, and knack for finding angles are among the best in the league at his position. Makes up for his lack of explosion and limited scoring ability in big ways.

His biggest negatives are his defense and turnovers and those are mostly attributable to him being slow. He might improve his shooting a bit, but he's already doing a pretty good job of that. I'd say what we're seeing now is about as good as he gets, but he did get a Western Conference Player of the Week award last week...